Penance
by secretcastle
Summary: High school and innocence was never meant to last. Sharpay will realize that she cannot have it all while Troy painfully learns to deal with the moral consequences that follow when one childish prank ends in tragedy. Very dark Troypay. Post HSM 3.
1. Prologue

**_A/N: _**_I conceived the idea for this story shortly after I finished "Princess Tiki" and was partly inspired by the Elle photo shoot. But I didn't write it immediately because I wanted to incorporate it with canon of HSM 3 Senior Year. I know this sounds really weird and no doubt you will get confused after you read this prologue but it's just a thought experiment that I had about the possible "what ifs" of their future. And after I saw the movie, it just came together really well. _

_Just fair warning, especially to those who haven't encountered me as a writer. First of all it's a Troypay romance, but I never really go for the conventional romantic formula so expect this to have a very different take._

_Second, this will be a very dark story so expect it to be depressing. This won't be as funny and light as my previous stories. It follows strict plot canon from the three Disney movies but it deviates from the Disney theme so there will be no completely happy fairy tale endings here. _

_If that hasn't discouraged you, read on and tell me all about it. _

**Penance**

**Prologue**

Stillness pervaded the air. The camera crews had long gone and so had the reporters, fans and the curious onlookers. Most of the guests already departed and the ones that remained were only intimate relatives and friends.

Ryan Evans watched them all without a word. Coach Bolton held his wife closely as she wept quietly on his shoulder. The graying-haired coach was no longer teary-eyed but his eyes were bloodshot and his face was ashen. Close to the couple, Chad held the pregnant Taylor next to him. Ryan could see his Adam's apple bobble up and down, a sure sign that he was choking back tears. Taylor squeezed Chad's hand tightly as if by doing so she could ease his pain. The rest of the Wildcats—Zeke, Jason, Kelsi, Martha and the others hung back a few paces. They all looked the same way that he did. And yet somehow Ryan felt that they were not hurting the same way that he was.

He couldn't understand it. Why did it hurt so much that HE was gone? Who was he to Ryan that when he died, it felt like the other half of his self died? He was a friend just like Chad was his friend, or Martha, or Taylor. There was nothing special about their friendship. Not like what he had with Kelsi, who was his best friend for years. And yet when Ryan first heard the news that he passed away when that truck hit his car, Ryan felt something cut at the core of his soul. It was like he lost something more than a friend. It was like he lost his sister all over again.

No… that wasn't it. It was like he lost his sister forever with a finality he never felt before.

He stared at the headstone next to the freshly installed one. This one was weathered with age but cared for. The golden lettering was still clearly visible and was almost sparkling just as she was in life:

Sharpay Marie Evans

September 9, 1990 - June 24, 2008

It was a decade ago. Exactly a decade ago. But why did he feel as if Sharpay only took her leave now? Was it possible his grief for her extended this long? But why was he feeling this only now?

His gaze shifted to the freshly made grave next to Sharpay's and something struck him as extremely strange on the headstone:

Troy Alexander Bolton

March 17, 1990 – June 24, 2018

Cherished Father, Beloved Husband

Ryan thought the engravers must have made a mistake. The last two words shouldn't be there. Troy was single when he died, even if he did adopt a son.

_Or was he? Maybe he kept a secret wife,_ thought Ryan. _He certainly could use a mother for Andy. _Ryan glanced around but he knew all the people left here and there was certainly no grieving woman that could possibly be Troy Bolton's secret widow. His gaze finally ended on Andrew Bolton. The seventeen-year-old kinky-haired black boy was Troy's adopted son. At the moment he was standing a little away from the crowd nearest to the headstones. Ryan decided to go over and ask him but he stopped. Amidst all the weeping people grieving over his adoptive father, Ryan could see clearly that Andy was smiling. His face was bright and not a trace of a tear was in his eyes.

Ryan puzzled over this. _Why is he smiling? His father is dead._

For a moment, Ryan felt a twinge of fear for Troy's son. He always liked Andy for he was a likeable boy. He was smart, witty, handsome, and had the same talent for acting as his father. They were friends as Troy always sent Andy to the drama camp for teens that Kelsi and Ryan ran together every summer. Ryan and Kelsi were even up for casting him for the new musical they were producing in Broadway after the boy finishes high school in a few weeks.

And yet in all those years, Ryan felt there was something strange about the boy. There were times when Ryan felt like he had a world all of his own. And sometimes Ryan couldn't help but feel that when he talked to the boy, he was talking to Sharpay. He certainly had particular mannerisms and attitudes that his sister possessed.

And then of course the biggest mystery was the boy's odd relationship with Troy. No one could tell why at the age of 19, Troy adopted the eight-year-old orphan and even went to great lengths to petition a court to grant him custody when he was barely legal to be a father. Troy brought him up alone. As far as Ryan and even Chad knew, Troy never had another girlfriend after Gabriella. He never even dated.

Ryan carefully eyed Andy. He had no reason to mistrust the boy. But he did make a strange request to Ryan. Andy insisted that Troy be buried next to Sharpay in the Evans family plot. The boy said it was his father's deepest wish. Ryan thought it was odd that Troy wanted to be buried next to a classmate that for the most part of his life he avoided and was clearly annoyed with. But he gave in to the boy just the same.

Ryan was startled from his thoughts when a hand touched his shoulder. Ryan looked up and saw Coach Bolton.

"Could you stay a while? There's something important I have to talk to you about," he said.

Ryan nodded. He noticed that many of the mourners began to leave. One by one they hugged Troy's parents and James goodbye before taking off. Finally Ryan was left with Troy's parents and James. Mrs. Bolton stood next to James and the boy offered his shoulder for her to lean on. Coach Bolton turned to Ryan.

"Walk with me a bit," he said and Ryan obliged. When they were a bit of a distance away from the gravesite Coach Bolton began to speak again.

"I talked to Troy's lawyer this morning and he told me something important. He left you something."

Ryan just nodded. Maybe Troy left a handsome amount to him for his theatre production company. Ryan didn't really need the money. He was rich on his own as the sole heir to his father's fortune in addition to the theatre company he shared with Kelsi. But Troy was after all a multi-millionaire since was an NBA MVP who occasionally stared in films. He was raking in millions, not just with sports endorsements but with commercials and blockbuster films. Maybe Troy thought a donation would be nice to further Andy's future in theatre.

But Coach Bolton reached into his coat pocket and produced a leather-bound notebook and gave it to him.

"What's this?" Ryan asked.

"What Troy left you," replied Coach Bolton.

"Oh," said Ryan. He was completely puzzled and curious to know what it contained.

"There's something else," said Coach Bolton. "And I hope you could shed some light on why Troy decided it."

"What is it?" Ryan asked nervously.

"He left Andy under your care."

Ryan stared at Coach Bolton for a moment as the words sank in. "What?"

"I know," replied Coach Bolton. "It's strange. I mean we're his parents. I would have treated Andy like my own but Troy's will clearly states you are to be his guardian in the event of his death if Andy is still a minor. Now I know Andy is almost eighteen. It's just eight more months, but you're still his legal guardian until his birthday. Troy's will was written five years ago and he never changed it so obviously he's given this some thought."

"I would take care of him of course. We're good friends. But I don't really know why Troy would leave Andy to me."

"That notebook might tell you," Coach Bolton said. "Look, I'll take Andy home with me for the moment. He doesn't know yet. Read that and maybe we'll understand."

Ryan nodded. "Alright. I'll drop by at your house later."

They said their farewells and Coach Bolton left with his wife and adopted grandson. When Ryan was finally alone, he walked back to Troy's and Sharpay's graves with the notebook still in his hand. He sat on the well-mowed grass of Sharpay's grave and opened it. It was a journal written in Troy's familiar handwriting. The first entry was dated five years ago.

_Dear Ryan,_

_If you're reading this, then it means I'm dead and that my son is still a minor. I have prepared for this inevitable possibility and I must confess that there are times that I wished for it. For years I welcomed death though I would never take my own life for Andy's sake. _

_But let me stop rambling now. No doubt you have many questions. You're probably wondering why I left Andy to you when you are not even related. I know you are fond of my boy and he has always regarded you as some sort of uncle. In a way you are, in ways you never imagined. And I'm going to tell you how. But before I do, I want you to keep an open mind. What I'm about to tell you is the whole truth though it's going to be hard to believe. I'm going to start at the beginning so you can fully understand._

_It all started on the day I killed Sharpay…_


	2. The Invitation

_A/N: I'm really overwhelmed by so many reviews and the busy traffic this story earned. I suppose you're all eager to get on with the story so here's the first chapter. Enjoy!_

**Chapter One: The Invitation**

"Gabriella! "Troy shouted over the teeming crowd of excited freshly graduated teenagers eagerly surrendering their caps and gowns to the flustered East High student council members.

His beautiful dark-haired girlfriend managed to turn slightly to look at him. It was rather difficult for her. She was being jostled by other classmates in a hurry to return their graduation gowns and get out of the school as soon as possible. Troy couldn't understand why anyone would want to get out so fast. He wanted this moment to last as long as possible. These are the last few moments he will have in this school. He wanted to savor it.

"Yes, Troy?" she called out.

"I'm getting the invitations I'll meet you outside!" he shouted back.

"Sure, I'll see you there," she called back.

That assurance was all Troy needed to move away from the crowds. He headed off to the hallway where the lockers were. He found his familiar locker and opened it. It looked so bare without his stuff and the picture of Gabriella on the inside of the door. He cleared his lockers yesterday and the only things left inside are the flyer invitations for his party. He was having one last bash at his house tonight and he had to give these out. Tomorrow he would be driving on his truck to California to begin his new life.

He picked up the flyers and closed his door. His heart jumped up as a face appeared when he closed his door.

"Troy!" piped the bubbly voice with a British accent. "Oh, I'm sorry if I startled you."

"Tiara," Troy replied as he recognized Sharpay's sophomore personal assistant. "Why are you here?"

"Oh I couldn't really miss the graduation ceremony. A lot of my friends are seniors and I just came to congratulate them. That includes you, so congratulations!"

She held out a hand to shake and Troy had to shift the flyers to his other arm for a moment to take her hand. She noticed them and exclaimed: "Are you having a party?" she asked brightly.

"Well, er… yes," he said awkwardly. He didn't really want to invite her for felt she was like a junior version of Sharpay and she had the same way of making him feel uncomfortable. He didn't really have an obligation to invite her for she wasn't a senior but it would sound rude of him not to when she had seen the flyers.

"You can come," he said as he handed her a flyer. "It's tonight, 7:00 at my house."

Tiara took it eagerly and read the flyer for a moment before her face fell. "Uhhhmmm… will Sharpay be there?" she asked almost in a whisper.

Troy hadn't really planned on sending Sharpay an invitation but he supposed he will eventually because she won't want miss out on this even if he didn't invite her. "Well, I suppose she will be. She's a senior too."

"Oh," Tiara said rather dejectedly. "I suppose I can't avoid her. I know this probably doesn't concern you, but I'm really worried next year. I've seen how you and Gabriella worked wonders on the stage. I'm afraid with her back to be Miss Darbus' assistant it won't go so well for us anymore."

Troy felt a twinge of pity for the girl. He knew how domineering Sharpay could be and she'll probably impose her one-woman shows and never let the students get a chance. But he didn't want to make the girl feel frightened more than she is already.

"Don't worry, Sharpay won't be around that often. She's off to her own college," he comforted.

The girl gave him a sad smile. "Well I hope so…" She paused as if she was embarrassed. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I know she's a classmate of yours and it's really bad of me to say something not so nice about other people, but I suppose you would understand. She's been mean to you and Gabriella far worse than she was with me."

"That was a long time ago. It's been a year. I've forgiven her for that."

Her face brightened. "That is so big of you Troy. I mean I don't think I can ever forgive someone that easily if she almost destroyed my relationship with the one I love by spreading rumors about a scholarship to the whole school."

Troy was confused. He hadn't heard of that. He assumed Tiara was talking about the events last year or the summer incident in Lava Springs. "What do you mean spreading rumors about a scholarship?"

Tiara gasped and covered her mouth. An expression of shock came on her face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that!"

"No, what do you mean?" asked Troy.

Tiara looked uncomfortable. "Look, Troy maybe it's right that you should know. Sharpay was the one who leaked the information about Gabriella getting the early orientation on her Honor's Scholarship in Stanford to the whole school. She planned on it before you knew so it would appear Gabriella would be insensitive to your feelings. And then she told me how she gave you that guilt trip so you would encourage Gabriella to go to that program. You see Sharpay wanted the lead in the musical with you so she planned Gabriella to leave school early."

Troy was speechless. So Sharpay planned all that. After all they've been through last summer, she hadn't changed at all. But he should have known that. Sharpay was always selfish to the point of being insensitive to others if she wanted something.

"Well I'm just glad she can't hurt you anymore," continued Tiara. "You and Gabriella make a wonderful couple and I wouldn't want someone like Sharpay messing with you again."

"Thanks," Troy uttered for he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I'll see you tonight Troy," said Tiara as she began turning away. However, she stopped and turned back again and this time she was rambling as she talked: "I'm sorry, I can't help it. I have to tell you." She lowered her voice. "Look, I heard something that she's planning one last effort to get at you... or Gabriella. I don't how or why. Maybe for revenge for not getting her part in the musical or the scholarship."

"What will she do?" Troy asked nervously. He already had been the victim of Sharpay's schemes twice before and he certainly didn't want a third experience.

"I don't know," Tiara said. "I just heard it. Maybe it's not even gonna happen at all, I'm not sure. I know I shouldn't be saying this… but could you… maybe not invite her tonight, just to be safe?"

Troy just nodded and muttered only: "Okay, I'll see."

"Thank you," said Tiara before she walked away.

Troy watched her disappear while his mind raced. He couldn't help but feel annoyed by this new piece of information. He decided to take Tiara's advice and not invite Sharpay. After all she'd done to him, he didn't want to even be in the same room with her, much less be in his own house with her.

He walked outside and met Gabriella. She took half the flyers from him and helped distribute them to the eager seniors. For a moment the joy of being around his friends made him forget about Sharpay. But then he heard Sharpay's voice pipe behind him.

"Oh, party at Troy's tonight?"

Troy didn't have time to react, for Gabriella, already did that for him. "Yes, do come it's at seven." She handed Sharpay an invitation and Troy realized there was no way he could un-invite her now.

Sharpay stared at the flyer and Troy started wishing she'll say she's busy.

"Oh but I'm scheduled for a facial at six. I do need to be fresh before I move in to U of A on Monday."

Troy rejoiced. "Well, we'll miss you, but that's alright—"

"Don't worry, Troy, I'll just crash in late," she said sweetly. "I'm not going to miss this one last night with all of you."

Troy bit his lip to keep himself from saying something rash. He was trying to figure out if her last statement had a double meaning to it.

She stared at the flyer again. "This doesn't have your address, Troy. I'll be driving there alone from the salon and I don't know where you live."

"Here, let me write his address," offered Gabriella. But Troy snatched Gabriella's pen from her hand as an idea formed in his mind. Sharpay didn't know where he lived. Maybe he couldn't un-invite her, but he could make sure she will never get to his house. A nasty voice in his head also told him that he could also send her someplace where she'll be needing another facial when she gets there. She can't possibly get back at him after this. He and Gabriella are off to California tomorrow.

"No, I'll just make you a map," he said. "Lean over Gabs."

Gabriella happily obliged her back for Troy to use as a makeshift table. Troy turned over the flyer from Sharpay and used the back portion to draw the map.

"You just go through the main road, turn right at this street here, take two lefts here, take a right then go two blocks down," Troy said as Sharpay peered over his shoulder. He finished it with an X to mark the spot where his house should be.

"Troy I don't remember getting to your house taking two lefts—"

"I'm giving her the shortcut," Troy cut in before Gabriella could reveal his deception. He folded the flyer so the map didn't show then handed it to Sharpay before Gabriella could see. "It should be easier to find it," Troy assured a doubtful looking Gabriella. "She is coming from the salon, Gabs, not from school."

"Oh, yes, I suppose, I can never remember those little side streets to your house," Gabriella nodded and Troy was thankful his girlfriend had a very bad sense of direction.

Sharpay took the flyer eagerly and gave him another one of her brilliant ten-mega-watt smiles. "Thank you, Troy. I'll see you tonight then. Toodles!"

_No you won't. _Troy thought mischievously as he watched her saunter off. _Enjoy the junkyard, Sharpay._


	3. At The Junkyard

****

**A/N: **Thanks to all your reviews I really enjoyed all your support in this one.

Just a few notes on the story. The idea of a little boy playing in the junkyard was partly inspired by the image of little Chad in "The Boys are Back". I thought that kid was adorable.

As for Sharpay's reference to the Gabriella as the "Borg Queen," that was inspired by a review of HSM 3 that I read. I think the critic mentioned that the kids in HSM 3 were like the Borg (those creatures from Star Trek that assimilate any organic beings they encounter, strip them of their individuality and turn them into cyborgs that follow one collective thought). He said something like the kids in HSM appeared so collectively happy they couldn't possibly have any individuality left. He mentioned only Sharpay seemed immune from being assimilated into the collective. I thought that was a really perceptive thing and I decided to add it here.

Chapter Two: At the Junkyard

Sharpay hummed a tune to music on her player as she turned her pink convertible left. She wrinkled her nose as she noticed the houses in the area turned more and more decrepit by each turn. But she didn't care much for it. She was thinking of the future.

"I want it all, I want it, want it, want it. The fame and the fortune and more," she sang along to her player.

She could imagine life before her. So what if she lost the Julliard scholarship? A little setback never stopped her from getting what she wanted. She can still make the Drama Department of the U of A her new kingdom. And when she gets her diploma, she'll be off to Broadway and she'll show Kelsi, her brother and all those Julliard faculty members what they missed.

_And it all begins tomorrow,_ she thought. Classes won't start until six weeks but there was no reason not to check out the U of A early and get in touch with the new drama teachers. Perhaps she can even get a role in their summer productions. If she did, she not only gets plus points with the new faculty but she can also size up the competition. She made a mistake relaxing her guard against Tiara, Kelsi and Ryan. She thought she could trust them. They were the people closest to her and yet they were the ones who betrayed her. Well she won't be making that same mistake again. Everyone is now a potential threat, and she will make sure she will be one step ahead of everyone else, even if it means going to classes six weeks early.

But tonight she was just going to relax and have fun and enjoy Zeke's cookies one last time. She won't even mind her traitorous brother and Kelsi there. She can afford to be generous. Besides, it won't do to look like a sore loser to the rest of the seniors. She was even prepared to give Gabriella her best wishes tonight. _At least that girl is going to the scientific community where she belongs. All the better. That's one less competition on the stage for me._ _The Borg Queen can assimilate those geeks in Stanford and make them we're-all-in-this-together-happy just like she did with East High. I'll keep my individuality, thank you very much. _

As for Troy, she forgave him. He didn't get the Julliard Scholarship too. So they were even. They will have time enough to fight for the lime light another day years from now when they both graduated from their respective universities. Tonight, she preferred to part with him as a friend—or at least a civil acquaintance.

She turned her car right as per Troy's instructions on the map and found herself on a lonely dark road lighted only by street lamps. There were wide stretches of empty lots broken only by a few ugly buildings. Most of them were either abandoned or closed for the weekend. She had never been to this area of Albuquerque before and a thought came over her that Troy Bolton lived here.

_Oh God! His neighborhood is so working class! What did I see in that guy? _

She stopped abruptly. She reached a dead end of the road and there was nothing there but an enormous yard full of beat up cars and scrap metal fenced all around with chicken wire. A sign on the entrance indicated: "Riley's Auto Salvage" but the neon lights were out and it appeared that no one was there.

She grabbed the map on the dashboard and checked again.

_Did I make a wrong turn?_ She asked herself. She reviewed in her head the turns she made and knew she hadn't. According to Troy's map this yard is supposed to be where his house is. She stared long and hard at the map and noticed the X mark was a bit off to the side of the yard. _Maybe it's beyond the junkyard? Ugh! Troy Bolton lives next to a junkyard?! How disgusting!"_

There was a tiny bark from her passenger seat and Sharpay grabbed her designer carrying case to let Boi out. The little Yorkshire terrier eagerly jumped into her arms. "I know, honey, it's revolting," she cooed. "I better call Troy to pick me up just the same."

She reached for her pink sidekick but as soon as she opened it, it died on her.

_Darn it! No charge?!_ She thought with annoyance. She remembered that Tiara always charged her phone for her. Before that, Ryan used to do it but lately her brother hadn't been there to do things for her. She threw her phone in the back seat as it was useless then shut off her car engine. She suddenly noticed a beam of light emanating from somewhere within the yard beyond the piles of scrap metal and old cars.

"Troy probably used a spotlight to lead the way, how charming," she added sarcastically. But she got out of the car just the same. "Come on Boi, we might as well check it out." She got out slowly, careful not to get her knee high designer pink boots dirty with the earth. She carried Boi on her arms. She surveyed the area and noticed the gate was slightly open. But looking at the gate and dusty trail that led inside made Sharpay want to throw up.

"Alright, I am not going in there. If Troy can't host a decent party in a decent place, I am not going. Ewww. We're going home Boi so I can soak in some disinfectant."

She turned to get back in her car but was startled when she heard a childish voice behind her:

"Charge! Yah! Yah! Yah!"

She ran, expecting an attack. She reached her car door and felt nothing, yet the childish voice continued its war cry. She cautiously turned around. To her surprise, she saw a little black boy around six years of age inside the yard jumping up on top of a stack of old rubber tires and brandishing a metal pipe. He was wearing a plaid shirt that was two sizes larger than his frame, torn jeans and a worn pair of rubber shoes. He had dirt on his face and his hair looked like it hadn't been washed for days.

She calmed down as she realized he wasn't attacking her at all. He didn't even notice her and Boi. He appeared to be playing a pretend sword fight game with an imaginary enemy, using the metal pipe as his sword.

"Hi-ya! Yah!" he cried on as he thrust his make-believe sword with flourish then exclaimed in victory: "I got you! I got you—" He stopped abruptly and drew back as he stared up at the top of an old van next to his tire tower. "Hey! That's not fair! No jumping that high!" The boy jumped off the tires then ran and climbed towards the hood of a rusty car. He moved to strike at his invisible opponent on the space on top of the opposite car but stopped when he noticed Sharpay. He dropped his "sword" on the dusty ground and stared at her. A serious look crossed his face.

Sharpay thought he was harmless and decided she might as well ask for directions.

"Hey kid, where's the party?" Sharpay called out to him.

The boy just stared at her as if taking in her whole form. "Are you… one of them?" he asked.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for this child's silly games. "I said where's the party kid?" she asked.

The boy jumped from the hood but one end of his shirt was caught in a lose piece of metal sticking out from car bumper. It stopped his fall for a moment and made him lose his balance until the end tail that was caught ripped and sent him landing hard on his knee with a cry of pain.

Sharpay's heart jumped at the sound of the little boy's cry. It seemed to ring in her ears amidst the silence. She suddenly forgot how dirty and disgusting her surroundings were. Before she knew what she was doing, she dropped Boi from her arms, pushed open the gate and rushed to the aid of the crying little boy.

"Are you alright?" she asked. She hurriedly sat him on the ground and checked his leg. There was an ugly gash on his knee that Sharpay knew would only get uglier, but otherwise it was only superficial. She noticed he had several ugly welts on his face that were already healing. She knew he didn't get these bruises from his fall and figured the boy must be accident-prone.

She helped him up and he was able to stand on his own. But once up, he didn't let go of her hand. He clutched at her then looked at her face.

"Oh… you're not like them," he whispered to her then beamed brightly at her with a toothy grin that showed the gap where one of his baby incisors had fallen off.

She didn't understand what he meant but the way he said it sent a chill down her spine. She forcefully pulled herself away from the boy. She noticed the dirt that accumulated on her perfectly frosted fingernails. She remembered how filthy the boy was and she promptly backed away from him.

"Get away from me!" she said irritably. "Now you've ruined my nails. What were you doing jumping like that anyway?"

But the boy merely smiled at her. "Thanks lady," he said in a cheerful voice.

Sharpay didn't know why but she felt a stirring of pleasure hearing that from the boy though she couldn't understand why.

"Well you can thank me by telling me where Troy Bolton lives," she snapped, though her tone didn't have its usual harshness.

The boy gave her a puzzled expression. "Who's Troy Bolton?"

Suddenly it clicked on her head. She was tricked. "That jerk! How dare he! When I find out where he really lives, I'm going to kill him! Come on Boi!"

She turned around to look for her dog but he was nowhere in sight.

"Boi?" She gasped. She was suddenly frightened. The junkyard looked so vast and dangerous and Boi had never been away from her before.

"You lost your dog, lady?" the little boy asked. "We'll help you look. What's his name?"

"Boi," Sharpay replied before calling out: "Boi, honey? It's time to go home! Come back to mommy now!"

"There!" the little boy called out.

Sharpay looked to where the little boy pointed in the distance just above a pile of tires. There was a tiny figure of movement there. But when it moved into the moonlight she saw it was a cat.

"No, that's just a cat," Sharpay complained. But then she heard a distinctive bark and her eyes moved downwards. There was Boi on top of an old broken down Volkswagen Beetle barking at the cat. Before Sharpay could call out to her dog, it leaped forward to chase after the cat that kept hissing angrily back at them.

"Boi, come back!" Sharpay cried as she chased after her pet. She felt the little boy running beside her. They wove their way through the maze of broken down cars, spare parts and scrap metal until she no longer knew where she was. But she knew she couldn't let her precious dog out of her sight.

The cat led the chase to a pile of junk cars stacked precariously about 25 feet high near the end of the wall of the junkyard. Boi bounded on top but the cat was quicker. It jumped over the fence and disappeared out of sight to the next yard. Boi appeared to finally give up the chase and was content to bark at it.

"Come on down, Boi!" Sharpay called. "Come on, let's get you home and get cleaned."

But the terrier remained on top of the pile as if unable to find its footing. Sharpay realized her dog didn't know how to get down.

"I'll get him," the boy offered. He couldn't climb up directly to where Boi was for there was no foothold on the stacked cars. Instead, he climbed the stack of scrap metal a few feet next to the cars. Sharpay watched between him and Boi and calmed her dog with soothing words to keep it where it was.

"Just stay there, Boi. He's coming to get you."

The boy reached the top of the pile and can go no further. Sharpay thought the boy's strategy was useless as he was still about five feet away from where Boi was. But to Sharpay's surprise, the boy made a bold move and jumped the distance and landed on the ledge just about three feet below Boi.

"Come on Boi," the little boy said gently as he held his arms out. Her dog gave a little yelp but jumped trustingly into the little boy's arms.

"I got him!" the boy said triumphantly. But as soon as he said it, the ledge he was standing on gave way and crashed noisily down. However, he managed to hold on with one hand to the side of a broken car door. His other arm held Boi. The tip of his toes was desperately holding on to a tiny remains of the ledge.

"I'm slipping!" the boy cried frantically.

The boy was fast losing his foothold as it was crumbling away. Sharpay knew if he fell he would most likely break his neck at that height or injure himself and her dog on any of the sharp scrap metal below him. She forgot her disgust for the dirty cars and didn't stop to think. She climbed the same pile of junk that the boy used earlier and stopped where he did before he jumped.

"Can you jump?" she called to him.

He nodded. "Without the dog."

Sharpay understood and held out her hands as the boy tossed her dog to her. Sharpay caught Boi then held out her arm for the boy. But even before he could jump to her, Sharpay felt the foothold she was standing on tremble. She gasped in shock as she tried to steady herself with Boi in her arms.

She didn't even have time to scream when the pile of metal she was standing on fell. The force of her fall appeared to make a domino effect and it felt like everything was sliding down. It was all happening so fast she couldn't make sense of it. All she knew she was feeling things falling on her head, her back, cutting at her arms and legs as the little boy's screams reverberated in her ears.

When it finally all stopped she realized she couldn't move. Everything was agonizingly painful, her head, her arms, her legs. She felt something liquid at the side of her head and saw when it fell close to her eye that it was blood. Through her bleary gaze she could see the little boy was able to find enough footholds on the fallen pile to come down on his own. He began desperately throwing away things to clear a path of the rubble towards her.

"Help…" she gasped painfully though it was barely a whisper.

"Help! Help me!" the boy sobbed frantically it appeared to no one. But then she heard a man's voice angrily shout:

"What the hell happened, Andy? You were supposed to be the lookout—Oh shit! Someone's here!"

"Please, help me!" the boy cried as he continued to clear away the rubble. "She's hurt."

Sharpay saw from the corner of her eye two men: a thin black man and a shorter stockier Caucasian. They both glanced at her before the white man ran off and disappeared from her line of vision. The black man came over and violently pulled at the boy.

"Come on! We have to go," he said.

"But the lady, Dad. She's hurt!" the little boy cried as he tried to break free from the man's grip.

"There's no time. A noise like that is bound to attract attention. Let's find a car good enough and go."

There was silence for a long moment and then suddenly he heard the little boy's voice again and saw him from the corner of her eye with his father behind him.

"Dad, please!" he said almost hysterically. "We can't leave her! She needs help!"

To her utter shock, the man hit the little boy on the side of the head so hard he fell to his knees on the ground. Sharpay terribly realized where the boy got the welts on his face.

"I told you to keep out of trouble!" the man cried harshly to him. "Now we've got her seeing us. Come on let's go. We'll take her car. She's loaded."

Sharpay felt utter panic seize her. She desperately tried to move, to shout. But she couldn't even form a scream in her mouth. She watched in horror as the boy slowly got up on his own and attempted to go to her. But the man grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled at him. The boy tried to fight back but he wasn't strong enough.

_Don't leave me! Help me, please!_ She thought desperately as piercing pain engulfed her perception. Her last coherent image was that of the boy's face looking at her with his cheeks streaming with tears while he was dragged away.

* * *

She flitted in and out of consciousness for several hours after that, though she no longer recalled anything other than the constant agonizing pain. It was nearly sunset the following day when her last excruciating bout of wakefulness occurred.

And then there was no more pain.

* * *

Miles away, Troy Bolton drove pass the state boundary and entered California soil. He didn't know why, but he suddenly thought of Sharpay with a twinge of sadness.

He dismissed the thought immediately as he remembered he will never have to see her again. His plan worked. She wasn't at his party last night.


	4. Disorientation

**Chapter Three: Disorientation**

Troy slowly opened his eyes and found an unfamiliar ceiling. For a moment he was disoriented before he remembered he was in his new dorm room in the University of California Berkeley. A smile passed his face as he thought about this new day of his new life. Classes weren't set to begin until September but as part of Troy's scholarship he was required to attend summer varsity practices. He was scheduled to meet with his new team today. It was a whole new ballgame for him and he was looking forward to it.

"About time you woke up!" a harsh familiar voice broke though his thoughts. He sat up quickly and rubbed his eyes.

He must be still dreaming. Standing at the foot of his bed and looking down at him was Sharpay Evans in a sequined white blouse, pink mini skirt and knee high pink boots. She had her Yorkshire terrier in her arms and the dog's expression matched her fierce scowl. Even with bright morning sun streaming from his window and lighting her frame, she looked like the devil incarnate.

Troy glanced at the clock on his bedside table. It was only seven. He wouldn't be meeting his team until nine. He lay back down on the bed and closed his eyes. "Ok I'm still dreaming, another hour and I'll shake this off."

"Don't you dare sleep on me again! I've been here forever and I'm getting tired of watching you snore! So get up there Troy Bolton or I will scream your head off!"

Troy ignored her and continued to close his eyes. He was sure she will disappear when he wakes up for real.

"TROY BOLTON! GET UP FROM THAT BED!!!"

Troy jolted up and found her face inches from his own. Apparently she made good her threat and screamed directly into his ear. He got up from bed and backed towards the wall.

"I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming. This is all just a dream and you will completely disappear when I wake up," he muttered to her.

But Sharpay gave him her typical ice queen eye roll. "I am not a dream Troy, so stop being an idiot. You're going to hear me out or help me I will scream again so loud, you're going to have a permanent hearing disability."

Troy pinched himself. This has got to be the worst nightmare he ever had. He felt the pain on his arm but the image of the harpy before him remained. She came close to half a foot away from him before she unleashed the power of her vocal chords directly into his face:

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Troy shook his head to clear it. He was sure a noise like that would have certainly awoken. But when he could finally make sense of everything, she was still there.

"Oh no, I'm not dreaming. You're really here!" he cried dreadfully.

"Obviously," she snapped as her dog gave him an equally patronizing bark.

He moved away from the wall and into the center of the room. "What are you doing here anyway? You followed me all the way to California?"

Sharpay gave her another eye roll. "I'll find you wherever you live. How dare you pull that trick on me! You sent me to that disgusting junkyard! Is that your idea of a joke?"

Troy flushed guiltily. He knew there was no way out of it so he decided to just admit the truth and tell her what he really felt. "Look, I'm sorry. You're right, that was wrong of me. But you can't expect me to just welcome you around to my party after what you tried to do to me and Gabriella."

She paused for a moment but remained impassive. "And why did I do to you and your perfect little girlfriend?"

"Oh don't deny it," said Troy irritably. "Tiara already told me. You're the one that spread to the school about her early orientation for her honor's scholarship program before she had a chance to tell me! And for what? To get her out of the way so you can get the lead in the musical?"

Sharpay didn't even look sorry. "So what? I just gave your girlfriend the little push she needed so you would finally know about it. If she was planning on telling you about that she would have told you a lot sooner. But she kept it from you and that's not my fault. I even did you a favor so you wouldn't be surprised if she decided to tell you one day before she takes off."

"You don't get it, do you?" Troy snapped. "You maliciously brought that out when she wasn't ready to tell me yet. You didn't even care about how she would feel. How I would feel. All that matters to you is what you want."

"Oh don't go blaming me for this. Anyone else could have found about that and broadcasted it to the school. If it was Chad who told you, you'd be thanking him for the good warning, but if it's me, it's all malicious to you."

Troy threw his hands in air in frustration. "You twist everything I say. I don't have time for your drama anymore, Sharpay. Look, you did you damage and I did mine. We're even. So just get out of my room and leave me alone." He paused as he had an afterthought: "How did you get in here anyway? Did you pick my lock?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she said haughtily. "I don't pick locks. I came in through—" She stopped suddenly and her expression changed to confusion. "I mean, I think I came in through your door… you probably left it open. I don't know and I don't care," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Troy went to his door and found the lock was in place but he figured he must have left this open last night and Sharpay just walked in. Maybe she relocked it. She couldn't possibly go through the window. His room was on the third floor.

He opened the door and pointed that she should leave but she stood in the middle of the room and didn't move.

"I'm not leaving!" she declared.

"Well what do you want? And hurry up. I have a schedule to follow," he said irritably.

"Well you'll be getting the bill from my manicurist! And Boi's groom! Do you have any idea how much dirt my baby got from that horrid place you sent me?!"

Troy wrinkled his nose at the dog but decided to argue further with Sharpay will just make matters worse. "Fine! Send me the bill. I'll transfer you the money through bank. Just go back to Albuquerque!"

He didn't wait for her to reply. He grabbed a towel and went into his bathroom.

"And close the door after you!" he shouted to her before he slammed his bathroom door.

"Close it yourself!" she snapped back.

He decided not to pay attention. He went along with his shower. He couldn't believe the nerve of that girl. To think she traveled all those miles just to torment him. Tiara was right. Sharpay was probably still out to get him for whatever bizarre twisted idea of vengeance she had in her head.

He came out of the shower quite refreshed… and nearly jumped out of the towel he was wearing when he saw Sharpay still sitting on his bed. His door was still wide open.

"Why are you still here?" he demanded.

She looked slightly panicked. "I can't leave."

"What else do you want?!" he exclaimed.

"No," she said in suddenly frightened voice. "I mean, I really can't leave. I can't get out of your building."

Troy raised an eyebrow at her in irritation. _What game is she playing this time?_ "Alright, what do you really want Sharpay? It's not likely you traveled all those miles just to tell me you want to bill me for your manicurist!"

"I don't want anything!" she screamed hysterically. "I want to leave but I'm telling you, I can't! I can't get out of your building!"

It was Troy's turn to roll his eyes. "What are you talking about? It's a simple matter. You walk out of my room, straight down the hall, go down two flights of stairs, and out the front door!"

"I already did that! I can't even get to the stairs!"

Troy was extremely confused but he was more irritated to even think about it. "Well I'm sorry if the floor is too filthy for your designer shoes! But unless you want to jump out my window to get out, you have to use the hall." He couldn't help but chuckle at his own wit but Sharpay wasn't laughing. She put Boi down on the floor and crossed her arms across her chest.

"This isn't funny Troy. I'm serious. For some odd reason, I can't take another step beyond the end of your hall."

Troy was too tired of her games and decided if she didn't want to leave on her own then he would have to forcibly walk her out. And he won't just stop at seeing her out the building. He was going to make sure she got out of his campus and was on the road back to New Mexico.

"Give me a minute to get dressed," he said simply as he shut the door of his room. He grabbed a plain white shirt, boxers and a pair of jeans from his unpacked bag and headed off to bathroom before she could say another word.

He dressed with lightning speed and when he returned she was sitting in the same way on his bed, clutching Boi on her lap.

"Something's wrong, Troy. I don't know what and I can't understand it," she said in a quivering voice. "I don't seem to remember when I came… all I remember was watching you asleep."

Troy didn't understand what she was talking about but he figured she was putting on some act to get at him. "Walk Sharpay or do I have to drag you out?" he threatened.

Sharpay offered no resistance. She seemed in a daze as she did as he told her and walked ahead of him out the door. He followed after her down the hall. She paused at the top of the stairs and looked at him. She slowly took a step down and appeared startled when her foot came down on the first step.

"But I… I couldn't do this before," she quivered.

"Sure, you can't," Troy said sarcastically. He urged her on with a gesture.

She went forward and they got out of the building with no trouble at all.

"So where did you park your car?" he demanded.

"I…" she began unsurely. "I don't think… I drove here."

"Oh yeah, figures you came by private plane," he said nastily. "Well then call your chauffeur and have him pick you up."

"I… don't think I have my phone."

"Fine!" said an exasperated Troy. "You can take the bus. I'll drive you to the stop."

He marched her towards his truck. He saw her wrinkle her nose at the sight of it.

"I am not getting in that junk," she said haughtily.

"Get in, Sharpay!" he said harshly. "Or else I'll throw you in the back and I don't care if I break any of your nails or get your designer clothes dirty."

Sharpay looked horrified. "You are not touching one inch of my skin! I can get out on my own!" She turned around and marched off towards the entrance of the University. Troy watched her go. He wanted to make sure she got out of the campus completely.

She was about 20 meters away when she stopped walking. She turned around and hollered:

"TROY!"

Troy groaned. "What now?" he shouted back.

"I can't move forward!" she cried almost hysterically.

"That's not my problem!" he yelled back at her as he noticed a pair of early morning joggers looking at him curiously. He was about to turn back inside when his phone rang. He quickly answered it just as Sharpay started marching back towards him.

"Chad, man!" he said as soon as he heard his best friend's voice on the other line. "You won't believe this—"

"Do you have a TV there?" Chad's overly excited voice cut him in the other line.

"Uhhmmm, yes in my dorm common room," he replied. He could sense something was wrong. Chad sounded apprehensive.

"Turn it on right now to the morning news. Something terrible happened!"

Troy raced back inside the building and he heard Sharpay following in his heels.

"Troy, there's something—"

"Not now Sharpay!" he shouted irritably. He got to his dorm common room where several students were already huddled in front of the TV. It was turned on the morning news and Troy caught sight of the flashing headline: TRAGEDY STRIKES NEW HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE IN ALBUQUERQUE.

"Hey Troy, isn't that where you come from?" asked one of the boys that Troy recognize was his new teammate Eddie who lived across the hall from his room.

Troy was suddenly filled with dread and he dropped his phone. Did one of his classmates had an accident?

"Yes," he said. "T-turn the volume up, will you?"

"Troy, please…" Sharpay cried next to him.

"Shhh!" Troy shushed then pointed to the screen.

"Oh my God!" she gasped as she saw the headline too at the same time the façade of East High flashed on the screen. "I hope it's not someone we know."

Troy ignored her and focused on the screen as one of the boys turned the volume up so he could hear the commentary.

"… the fatality has been identified as 17-year-old fresh graduate Sharpay Marie Evans, only daughter of real estate magnate Vance Evans…"

Troy's jaw dropped as he stared at Sharpay beside him who also looked shocked.

"Those reporters got it wrong!" Troy exclaimed as the other boys in the room turned to look at him. "She's right he—"

He stopped as the image on the TV changed to a familiar site. It was Riley's junkyard where he and Chad used to play and later where he got spare parts for his beat up truck. There was an area of rubble cordoned off by yellow tape of the police line. A group of men on stretchers carried a body covered with a white sheet towards a waiting ambulance. The reporters all swarmed on the body, eager to get photo opportunities. In the scuffle that ensued one of the carriers tripped and the sheet was pulled away to reveal a face. It was only a split second for the face was covered immediately. But it was enough for Troy to recognize the golden locks slightly covering her face that still looked pretty even when she was bruised and lifeless.

He stared at the screen in shock and no longer registered the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Evans sobbing on the screen next to a stone-faced Ryan.

That dead girl on the screen was Sharpay. There was no mistaking about it.

But if that was Sharpay, who… or what… is that girl standing right next to him?

* * *

***

**A/N: **I hope this answers some of your questions. Sorry, I killed Sharpay I just had to.

Thanks again for all your reviews and all those lovely guesses you made. Somebody mentioned that Sharpay was probably going to come back as a vampire, which is probably the most interesting theory I got, but I'll think I'll leave that plotline for Stephanie Meyer's Twilight.


	5. Companions in Hell

**Chapter Four: Companions in Hell**

"Troy? Are you alright? Troy?" his new teammate Eddie waved a hand in front of his face but Troy could only see pass the hand. He was staring directly at Sharpay who was now in hysterics.

"Why are they saying that?! That's not me! THAT'S NOT ME! I'M NOT DEAD!"

A new face appeared on the screen. Troy recognized Riley, the owner of the junkyard. He was being interviewed:

"I closed the shop during the weekend. I didn't discover her body until this morning. Poor girl. She must have been under that rubble for over a day. Probably the same thugs that broke in and stole my cash box were the ones that did her in."

The image cut to a female reporter in a neat professional suit: "There were no signs of physical assault on her body. But police strongly suspect that foul play was involved as the junkyard office was robbed and Evans' car is missing. She was last seen the other night driving away on her convertible from a high-end salon on the way to a classmate's graduation party. As the junkyard is out of way from both the salon and her intended destination, police suspect she was car-jacked along the way and brought by force to the junkyard…"

_No she wasn't! _Troy thought. _She came there on her own! I sent her there! _Troy knees gave way and he felt several arms catch him. He tried to stand but couldn't for Sharpay came forward towards him in a state of panic.

"That's not true! I'm right here! I'm not dead!"

Troy pushed away the boys that were holding him as he stared at Sharpay in horror and a terrible idea began forming on his mind.

"Troy, man are you alright?" asked his dorm mate. "Look, I know, she must have meant something to you, but things like that happen."

He turned to the concerned boy. "Do you see her?" he pointed at Sharpay.

"Oh course, he can see me, you idiot!" screamed Sharpay. "I'm right here!"

Eddie turned to where he pointed but only looked confused. "See who?"

The panic in Troy's heart was rising and he turned to the other boys. "None of you can see her? The blond girl in this room?"

The boys all stared at him as if he was crazy.

"Troy…" one of them began. "There's no girl in this room. It's a male dorm. They're not allowed…"

Troy felt like his heart stopped beating as he confirmed his suspicions: the Sharpay in front of him wasn't alive!

"What are they talking about?" Sharpay demanded. "Of course they can see me." She smacked the boy closest to her in the head. But to Troy's utter surprise, her hand just went through him and the boy didn't even react.

Sharpay's eyes bulged in shock and she attempted to do it again, but it had the same effect.

"What's happening to me?!" she cried desperately. She moved towards Troy and as she did, she went through the boy that was in front of Troy as if she was just air.

"Stay away! Don't come near me!" Troy shouted before he pushed away at the boys supporting him. He bolted out of the common room and ran the two flights of stairs up to his room. When he got there, he hurriedly got in then locked the door.

He stepped away from the door. "Ghosts aren't real! Ghost's aren't real! This is all a dream! This is all a dream!" he muttered frantically to himself as he tried slapping his arms in an effort to wake himself up.

But he didn't wake up. Instead, a frenzied Sharpay emerged from his closed door. Through his solid door!

"Troy, what's going on? I was dragged up the stairs!"

Troy stepped back away from her, with his arms up to shield himself. "You're not real! You're not real!" he screamed at her. But he realized his futile efforts to wake up were in vain. It dawned on him that he wasn't dreaming at all and he was really seeing a dead Sharpay.

"Troy, please, I'm scared!" she cried as she moved towards him.

He stepped backwards until his back was to the wall and he realized he was cornered. Sharpay's hands reached up to him and he felt something like a warm energy passing through his arms and into the inside of his chest where her hands went through him. It didn't hurt but he felt like his body was being invaded by a strange presence. It was only a split second for Sharpay immediately withdrew her hands as if she was scalded and ran backwards until she was across the room from him.

"T-Troy…" she cried. He could see she was just as frightened as he was.

Troy stared at her for a long moment, unable to say anything. He forced himself to calm down but his mind was racing with so many confused thoughts. One thought finally stood out: It was his fault she was dead! Whatever happened to her in the junkyard it was his fault because he sent her there!

But is it really her ghost that he was seeing? Or was he going crazy over the guilt and this is a product of his own imagination?

He slowly moved towards her but this time she was the one stepping back in fright of him.

"Shar… Sharpay are you really here?" It seemed like a stupid question to ask but he couldn't think of anything to say.

She stared up at him with wild terrified eyes. "I'm here. I'm here," she declared as if she was trying to assure herself of her own existence.

He moved towards her and paused for a moment to gather strength before he reached for her left shoulder. His hand went right through her and the same energy that wasn't quite solid was the only thing he felt. He quickly withdrew his hand.

His heart plummeted. She was real. She was a ghost.

He understood why she was here: She was seeking revenge for what he did!

He breathed deeply and forced himself to calm down. "Sharpay, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"What do you mean…" she cried. "Troy, what is going on? I'm going through things… I went through your door…"

He realized she didn't know what happened to her and he swallowed hard before he explained: "Sharpay… you're dead. Y-you're… you're a ghost."

Her face deepened in terror and she stepped back. "No, I'm not. I don't believe you. It's a mistake."

Suddenly, Boi appeared through the wall. Sharpay's eyes went wide but the dog just nuzzled at her leg affectionately.

"It looks like Boi is one too," Troy said.

She put her hands on each side of her head. "No… this can't be happening…" She paced and around his room in a frantic manner. "I can't be dead… I'm too young… I'm going to college… I'm going to be a star… in Broadway… Hollywood…" She slowly sank down on the floor and began to sob. "It's not true!"

Troy felt sick. The full implication of what he did hit him. He didn't just kill Sharpay, he killed all her hopes for the future. For the first time, he saw Sharpay as not just the annoying diva in school but as someone like himself. She too had her dreams of growing up successful in the world. Because of him, that was all gone.

He slowly crouched down to be at level with her as tears choked down his throat. "Sharpay, I am so sorry… I didn't mean for it… I didn't know I'd get you…"

Sharpay looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Sharpay, the junkyard…" he swallowed hard but he had to know. "What happened to you in the junkyard the other night?"

"I…" she shook her head. "I can't remember… all I know I was driving…" She shut her eyes as if she was trying to remember. Her expression suddenly hardened. When she opened her eyes Troy saw them aflame before her fist came flying towards him. He shielded his face with his hands expecting to be hit, but instead he only felt that same strange energy passing through his arms and into his face but wasn't solid enough to hurt.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED ME!"

"I'm sorry."

"SORRY? YOU THINK SORRY'S GOING TO CHANGE THE FACT THAT I'M DEAD!!!"

She began hitting at him but her hands just kept going through him. It felt like he was being assaulted inside but it didn't hurt physically. Nevertheless, he let Sharpay use him as a target. He deserved whatever else she wanted to throw at him. Her dog also tried to bite at his leg but it's teeth just kept going through him.

Finally both she and her dog grew tired of trying to hurt him. She sat back down on his bed and stared point blank at his wall. She began rambling as if she was recalling a nightmare:

"I thought you lived there! There was a dirty boy playing there. I helped him up when he scrapped his knee. He had no idea who you were when I asked. Then… then Boi ran in and chased after a cat… I followed to the junk pile… he couldn't come down so the boy climbed after him… he was falling so I followed. I tried to help… and then… and then…" She paused and stood up. Her face suddenly contorted to horror and she let out a shrill scream:

"OH GOD IT HURT!"

"Sharpay?" Troy moved towards her on the impulse in an attempt to hold her, comfort her somehow. But she moved away from him. She dug her nails on her temples as if she was trying to block out some agonizing ache as she paced about the room frantically.

"It hurt so much when it collapsed!" she cried like a madwoman. "The boy… the boy… he tried to help… but he was dragged away… they stole my car…"

"Sharpay…" he began again but she kept on pacing listlessly.

"So long… pain… so much pain… Couldn't even cry... No one to help…"

_Oh God, what have I done! _Troy thought dreadfully. He could picture the images from the TV with what she was telling him. _She had an accident. Something must have fallen on her and she was crushed. She suffered so long before she died all alone!_

"Sharpay… I don't know—"

Her eyes finally made contact with his and he saw them ablaze with fury through her tears. "YES YOU DON'T KNOW! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU TOOK AWAY FROM ME?!"

She started hitting him again but it was her words that hurt him not her fists:

"DAMM YOU, BOLTON! YOU'VE TAKEN EVERYTHING! MY MUSICAL! MY THEATRE! MY SCHOOL STATUS! MY CHANCE FOR A SCHOLARSHIP! But it's not enough! NO! You had to take my life too! I WISH YOU WERE DEAD SO YOU CAN JOIN ME IN THIS HELL!"

She hit him one last time before she sank down on his floor. She clutched Boi to her chest and cried.

Troy sat next to her. He wanted to touch her or at least let her hit him again but he knew she couldn't. He could see her tears falling on her cheeks and he impulsively reached out to catch a droplet with his hand. He wanted to feel her hurt even if it was to let her warm tears sting his skin. But her tears didn't fall past her chin. They disappeared as if they couldn't exist when they weren't connected to her skin.

_I can't even wipe away her tears,_ he thought miserably. Never before had he realized how important the ability to touch someone was. "Sharpay, I'll do anything you want me to," he told her. He felt his words were so inadequate. "I know I can't make it up to you…"

She didn't look up to him and Troy saw for the second time in his life how broken she was. But unlike that time during the talent show in Lava Springs, he knew she might never recover from this. "Just…" she said in a eerily defeated voice. "Just… leave me alone…"

Troy decided there was nothing more he could do but obey. He got up and went out the door where he found his new dorm mates waiting outside looking concerned.

"Dude, you okay?" one of them asked.

Troy couldn't reply. Someone handed him his mobile. "You left your phone in the common room. Someone named Chad's been calling."

Troy took it just as it rang. "Thanks. I'll be okay."

"Okay, we'll leave you to your call," said the boy who handed him the phone. "But if you need someone to talk to…"

Troy just nodded. His dorm mates all walked back downstairs or to their own rooms. When he was alone in the hallway, he answered the phone.

"Troy," Chad's voice was sullen on the other line. "You saw that about Sharpay."

The mention of her name sent him into a burst of tears and he barely could answer: "Yes."

"It's horrible," said Chad. "Look, I'm heading off to see Ryan. I figure he'll need a friend. I'll get the others who are still here to come around and see Ryan too. I know you and Gabriella are getting settled so you don't have to come back here. I'll just tell you when's the funeral."

Troy felt his knees buckle again and he leaned on the wall and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. "No, Chad," he choked.

"No?" Chad's voice sounded confused. "Troy, dude, are you alright?"

"No…" Troy gasped. And he suddenly knew the only thing he can do to make it right. "I'm coming home… If I start in a little while and drive all night, I can get back to Albuquerque by late afternoon tomorrow or early evening.

"You don't have to," Chad said. "I know you're concerned about Ryan but I know you've got early practices on the varsity team. I'll just call you when they have a date for the funeral."

"I'm not coming home for the funeral, Chad," Troy openly sobbed. "I'm coming home to turn myself in."

"What… what are you talking about?"

"I did it Chad! I sent her to that junkyard! I got Sharpay killed!"

"What do you mean? Troy you're not making any sense."

Troy couldn't explain on the phone for he could no longer talk with the tears choking him. He can better tell him tomorrow in person. "Goodbye Chad."

"Troy, what's going on—"

He hung up. He hugged his knees to his chest and slumped down on his arm as his body convulsed with sobs. Behind the door, he could hear Sharpay's agonizing screams.

* * *

_**A/N:** This was one really difficult chapter to write because it was just so painful. It took me a long while to edit this out and get the right mood in so I hope you don't mind the long wait. The next chapter's bound to be even more difficult because I'll be dealing with Sharpay's POV in the next one. I'm pretty busy this December so I'm taking a bit longer to update. Hopefully I'll get some time during Christmas break to write the next chapter._


	6. The Anguish of the Dead

_**A/N: **__Pardon the delay. I'm really busy this holiday season and it doesn't stop after the season. January is also hectic for me. I'll try to update again as soon as I get free time, but these days I don't have much of that. _

**Chapter Five: The Anguish of the Dead**

Her world was spinning and it wouldn't stop.

She was dead.

Only seventeen. Her life ahead. Her dreams. Her hopes for the future.

All gone.

She was dead.

The memories in the junkyard came rushing back to her. They came as soon as Troy asked what happened to her. She could remember everything—the pain of every gash on her skin and each broken ligament of her frail little body. She remembered her terror at being left behind all alone in that dark place to bleed and die. She remembered trying to scream for hours but could not even utter a sound. There was nothing to ease the pain or her fear.

And yet now, she would rather feel that pain and fear in the junkyard again. Broken bones, broken tissues, bloodied face. It didn't matter to her if she had them. At least she felt something then. She was alive.

But now she was dead.

She felt nothing. No heat. No cold. There was no touch of cooling breeze on her cheeks or warmth of the early morning sunlight streaming through the window kissing her skin. There were no dust particles permeating her nostrils that can make her sneeze.

She put her hand on the floor of Troy's room but she saw the accumulating dirt on it left no marks on her perfectly manicured fingertips. Tentatively, she allowed her finger to apply pressure to the floorboard in an effort to feel it's hardness and she was rather startled to find her fingertip went through it like she was touching air. She looked around at her body and realized she wasn't really crouched on the floor but was suspended on it.

She got up and sat on Troy's bed. Her form made no indent on the bedspread of his mattress. She become conscious that she wasn't really sitting on it. She was just hanging on top of the bed in an appearance of sitting. She was sitting only because her mind dictated it. Her mind told her that her reality was confined to the rules of matter and space and thus her posture remained so. If she imagined the bed wasn't solid she realized she would go through the bed, the floor and to what infinity of depths of the earth, she didn't know.

She was dead.

The implications of all this hit her like another excruciating painful stab in the chest. She was no longer solid matter. She couldn't touch anything or anyone. She was here yet all things in this world were closed to her.

The utter helplessness of her situation engulfed her with tears. But she noticed even her tears do not fall past her cheeks. She knew because they weren't tears at all but an illusion of her mind—just as the rest of her was an illusion. A worthless illusion.

She was dead.

All those people who committed suicide were wrong, she realized. Death is not a way to escape the pain. It was the means towards a more infinite pain. A pain of ending in nothingness.

She screamed in protest. Again and again. She cried to whatever higher power out there to be released: Let it end. Let this nothingness end.

She demanded, furiously at first like the ice queen that she was. She protested with the savageness of a warrior and rendered her ear-shattering voice in the air to whatever god or being it was that held the power of life and dead to bring her back.

Then she switched to a calmer tone—diplomatically bargaining her cause.

She played coy next, sweetly asking as if she could seduce fate with feminine wile.

And finally she was reduced to begging and weeping like a child.

Each time, nothing answered her back.

She was still dead.

When she could cry no more, she lay—or rather let her mind think she lay on Troy's bed and hugged Boi to her chest. The dog quieted down when she did and licked her face. She allowed herself this only source of comfort.

"I have you," she told him. "I've lost everything and I have only you. Oh Boi, what do we do?"

The dog jumped off her chest and off the bed. Sharpay got up. As she did, she noticed her reflection in Troy's full-length dressing mirror. She couldn't help but survey her clothes. They were as fresh and pristinely clean as they were hours ago when she became conscious of her surroundings and found herself in this room watching Troy snore. Even her makeup looked intact even though she was crying non-stop for quite a while.

_Well of course, _she thought. _I'm dead. It's not like I can possibly get dirty. Thank goodness I was wearing a perfectly good outfit when I died. But must I wear this for all eternity now? Oh I wish I could have something different for a change. I do adore the pink, but I'm just not in the mood for it when I'm in mourning._

She imagined that new black dress with a leopard printed belt she just bought a week ago and wished she had that to suit the occasion. As soon as she thought about it, she gasped in shock as her clothes transformed into that very dress. She even had the accessories to match it.

_I can change my outfit at will?_ She thought excitedly. She stared at her pink boots and decided to try it again. She imagined those Prada black boots her mother got her last month but never got to wear. Sure enough, her pink shoes morphed into the exact same pair that was in her mind. They didn't even hurt her feet even though the heels had killer height. She walked around with it but felt no chaffing leather or hardness that normally came with new shoes that hadn't been broken into. They felt as comfortable as her comfy flats.

She stared back into the mirror and decided her makeup didn't match. And like magic she suddenly had a makeover as she imagined it.

The idea that she could alter her appearance at will cheered her spirits a little. But then it dampened again as she remembered there was no point in looking her best when Troy was the only one who would see it.

There was a knock on the door followed by Troy's soft voice: "Sharpay?"

Sharpay said nothing. She had no patience to even scream at him. She just wanted Troy to leave her alone.

He entered the door anyway.

"I'm sorry I have to come in," he said in a rather choked voice. Sharpay decided to plainly ignore him.

"I know you probably don't want to talk to me," he continued. "And you don't have to. I'll leave you alone. But I want you to know I'm not running away from my responsibility. I'm coming home to Albuquerque. I'm turning myself in. I'll tell the police it was my fault you had an accident."

Sharpay turned away from him. Even if he rotted in jail for her murder, it would not satisfy her. Even if he committed suicide for her it would not be enough. She thought nothing less than his own painful death by her hand would satisfy her. But as it was, she couldn't even do that since she couldn't touch him.

She could hear him picking things up around the room. She chanced a glance and saw him grab his wallet and a few other items and put them in a small backpack. He changed shoes and put on a jacket then stood in front of her.

"I'm going Sharpay. I'm sorry again."

She still gave no reply and so he quietly left and locked the door behind him.

Sharpay contemplated what to do now. She had an eternity to spend with nothing to do. What do the dead do anyway? She supposed she might spend it tormenting Troy and making his life miserable as payback and—

She never got to finish the thought. She was suddenly pulled by an invisible force to the wall and out into the hallway. But it didn't stop there. She was dragged down the stairs much like what happened earlier when Troy ran up to his room but this time the pace was a lot slower. She saw that Boi too was floating as if pulled by the same force. She decided it was futile to counter it so she went with the flow and walked in the same direction. She was led out the building and towards the student parking lot. When the force stopped she could see Troy unlocking his truck with his keys.

Suddenly she realized what this all meant. She was attached to Troy and she couldn't go beyond a certain distance away from him. She decided to experiment. She saw that Troy was stationary as he seemed to be having a problem opening his own truck door. She turned around and tried to walk back in the other direction. She got only two steps before her foot refused to move another inch as if there was an invisible wall in front of her. She heard an engine fire up and turned around and saw Troy managed to get into his truck. A dreadful feeling came on to her. She realized if Troy was attached to her and he started moving on a truck, she and Boi would be dragged along the highway. Of course she and Boi wouldn't die or get hurt, but she didn't fancy running along on the interstate at 80 kilometers per hour.

"TROY STOP!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Boi sensed her panic and began barking madly.

Troy turned to her direction.

"Don't move!" Sharpay ordered.

"Sharpay?" he asked apprehensively.

"Shut off the engine and come here!" she ordered.

He did as she told him and was beside her in less than five seconds. "What is it?"

"I'm attached to you!" she exclaimed.

Troy gave her a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean Boi and I can't go far from you or drag us with you. I'll show you. Start walking backwards slowly but watch me and Boi."

He still looked confused but he started walking as she said. When he was about 20 meters away, Sharpay felt the pull. She tried to resist but she was dragged forwards so she had to use her feet to move. "Troy stop! Did you see that?"

He ran back towards her. "Yeah, I saw it. Oh my God Sharpay! I'm so sorry."

She huffed at him. "Well apparently, aside from you being the only one who can see and hear me, I'm also attached to you. Great Bolton, just great! On top of everything else I get to be dependent on you too to go places. I hope you're happy!"

"Sharpay, I can't be happy about this. I swear, I feel terrible."

"Well you should be!" she screamed at him.

"I'm sorry."

She was too miserable to reply.

"Look, I'm still going to turn myself in. And I suppose you have to come with me."

"Fine." She thought at least she could witness Troy getting arrested. She knew it wouldn't even begin to pay for what he did to her but at least he suffered.

"Come on, Sharpay," he said as he turned back to his truck.

Sharpay stared at the monstrosity before her and shook her head. "Oh no! I told you before, I am not getting in that junk."

"Sharpay, it's the only thing I have. I can't get another ride out of campus. And even if I did, I can't afford a plane ticket. Besides you won't—"

Sharpay gave him a glare that warned him not to finish that sentence that would remind her again that she was dead and couldn't possibly get dirty or contract germs. But she realized the alternative to not getting in would be even more uncomfortable.

"Alright, I'll get into your disgusting vehicle."

She got into the passenger seat but not without insulting his truck in every possible way. Everything about it was decrepit. The dashboard was falling off, the door was rusty, there was a crack on the window and the seats had stains from something she didn't want to know. Troy bore it all in silence until Sharpay was too tired to complain.

"We have to drop by at Stanford," he told her. "It will be quick, but I just need to see Gabriella and ask her to come along. I can't do this alone."

"What for?" Sharpay snipped. She thought how selfish of Troy was to think of his girlfriend at a time like this. If he was off to go planning some date while she was dead, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

"Sharpay, she's my girlfriend. I have to tell her about this. She has to hear this from me immediately. I don't keep secrets from her."

The idea of having Gabriella with them annoyed Sharpay, and she remarked nastily: "But apparently she keeps secrets from you."

Troy didn't answer and Sharpay decided he deserved some added grief: "Seems to me you're getting the bad end of the deal here. You tell her everything but she doesn't do the same for you."

Troy remained impassive and just kept watching the road. That just irked Sharpay and made her want to bug him even more.

"You really should be careful with that girl, Troy. If you can't trust her to tell you something as important as leaving school early, who's to say she'll confide in you in the future."

"Sharpay," Troy finally spoke though his voice appeared forced. "You can say anything you want about me because I know I deserve it. But please—and I'm asking nicely—leave Gabriella out of it. She had nothing to do with you."

"How do I know you two didn't conspire together to send me to that junkyard?" she said though she knew that it wasn't true. If she knew Gabriella, that girl couldn't conceive of a prank like that, or even agree to it.

"Sharpay, I'm telling you the truth. She had nothing to do with it. It was all me. She was the one that gave you the invite but I didn't want to invite you. I couldn't take it back when she invited you. That's why I gave you different directions so I could keep you from going to my party." He paused to wheeze. "And I'm sorry for that and I'd give anything to take back what I did." Sharpay saw a tear fall down his cheek and she knew he was sincere. She no longer said anything and Troy drove the rest of the way in silence.

When they arrived at Stanford, Troy led them outside a building under a large tree. Students were coming out by the door in threes and fives.

"She's coming out in a few minutes. Her class ended five minutes ago and she's usually the last to leave the classroom."

They didn't have to wait long. Gabriella appeared carrying an armload of books. She was with several other students who, in Sharpay's opinion, probably used the services of Ugly Betty's fashion consultant. They were giggling together like they were talking about Hollywood gossip but the conversation seemed centered on something that involved numbers. Sharpay couldn't understand how anyone could find math funny. But even more, she was incensed that Gabriella could still smile and laugh like that when she, a classmate, died yesterday.

"Gabriella?" Troy called softly.

She startled and looked up. Her expression became serious. "Troy, you're here," she looked surprised. "You heard about Sharpay?"

Troy nodded. "That's why I've come. I need to tell you something. Can we talk alone?"

She bid goodbye to her new friends and led Troy to the shade of the tree. He asked her to sit down. Sharpay stood behind Troy.

"Poor Ryan must be so broken up," Gabriella said.

"Poor Ryan!" Sharpay exclaimed as she put her hands on her hips and scowled at Gabriella. "Ryan's not dead, I am.

Troy gave her an apologetic look.

"Gabriella look, I don't know how to tell you this but…"

"Cut to the chase Bolton. Just get on to it!" Sharpay cried impatiently.

Troy cringed and Sharpay glared at him while crossing her arms over her chest in a clear indication to him not to beat around the bush.

"I- I'm responsible for Sharpay's death," Troy stammered in a hoarse voice.

"What—what do you mean?" Gabriella asked as her face contorted to panic.

Sharpay couldn't help but be a little pleased to see the other girl look flustered. _Yeah that's right, your boyfriend is a cold-blooded murderer, _she thought.

Troy held a hand to his forehead and Sharpay could see the beads of sweat on his face. "The map I drew her to get to my house, remember? She didn't know where my house was. But I didn't want her at the party so I gave her wrong directions and I…" He stopped and Sharpay was startled when Troy broke down in uncontrollable sobs. "I sent her to that junkyard where they found her."

Gabriella covered her mouth with her hands and stood up. "Oh Troy, you didn't!"

"I did. Oh Gabs, I'm so sorry, but I did it. She went there and she had an accident. I killed her."

Gabriella walked away for a moment for a few paces, her back turned to them. But then she faced back to Troy and shook her head. "Troy, no, you didn't kill her. The police suspect someone car jacked her and brought her there. It's not your fault. Somebody else might have killed her and dumped her body in that junkyard."

"That's not true!" Sharpay protested hotly.

Troy shook his head. "No. She didn't get carjacked. She went there on her own because of my directions. She had an accident."

"How can you be sure?"

"She told me."

Gabriella looked puzzled. "Told you? How could she?"

Troy wiped away his tears and held her by the elbows. "I know this will sound really weird but Sharpay's ghost came to me. She's right next to me right now but I'm the only one who can see or talk to her. And she told me she had an accident in the junkyard and it killed her."

Gabriella pulled away. "Troy there is no such things as ghosts."

"Yes, there is! I'm one and so is Boi!" Sharpay protested.

"Gabriella, how do you explain why I have her here with me right now. She's right here. She can hear you." He pointed to where Sharpay was standing. "Isn't there any way you can make her feel your presence?" he asked Sharpay.

Sharpay shrugged. "What do you want me to do? I can't touch her or anything at all." She demonstrated by attempting to grab at fistfuls of Gabriella's hair but her hand just kept going though like she was touching air.

"There, do you feel that?" he asked Gabriella. "She's touching your hair."

That was an understatement. Sharpay was clawing at Gabriella's head with the viciousness of a female wrestler.

But Gabriella shook her head. "Troy… I don't…"

"It doesn't hurt, not physically but don't you feel the energy passing through?"

"Troy, there's nothing there…"

"Just feel it. It feels like a warm energy. That's her." Troy urged Sharpay with a gesture to do more and she happily obliged. Sharpay attempted to pound at every inch of Gabriella with her fists from her head to her back to her legs.

"I think you're overdoing it," Troy scowled at her but she ignored him. Sharpay put her face as close as possible to Gabriella's ear and let out one of her famous howls:

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

She kept at it for over 30 seconds—practically a record for her. Her voice teacher would have been proud at her fermata. And still Gabriella made no reaction except to look puzzled at Troy who was covering his ears and wincing in pain. Sharpay went on to hit, kick and Gabriella while Boi gnawed at her ankles to no effect.

"It's not working!" Sharpay gave one last shout at Troy.

"Didn't you feel even that?" Troy asked Gabriella when he appeared to have regained use of his senses.

But Gabriella shook her head and an expression of sadness crossed her face. "Oh Troy…" Gabriella said softly before she hugged him tightly to her. "Oh Troy, Troy. I know you're feeling guilty." She pulled back away a little and cupped his chin with her hands. "I know you feel responsible and yes I admit you were wrong to have given her those directions. And I think this is all affecting you in your head—"

"Gabriella, I'm not imagining, she's really—"

"Shhh!" Gabriella cut him with a finger to his lips. "Troy, this isn't your fault. There's a very big chance you had nothing to do with her death and someone else might have."

Sharpay couldn't believe the nerve of that girl to rationalize Troy out of his responsibility. She rounded on Troy and forcibly made eye contact with him. She gave him a withering stare. "Don't you dare believe that! I had an accident Troy and no one else was involved. I went to that junkyard because you directed me to it. I actually thought you lived there when I got there and that's why I didn't leave immediately even if it was dark and dirty and I was all alone. I trusted you that much and you betrayed me! My blood is in your hands and don't ever forget it!"

Troy pulled away from his girlfriend's embrace. "I haven't forgotten," he told Sharpay.

"What?" asked Gabriella.

"Which is why I'm doing the right thing," continued Troy. He faced his girlfriend again. "That's why I came here. Please come home with me. I'm turning myself in to the Albuquerque police tomorrow."

"What?" Gabriella gasped. "Troy you can't do that!"

"I have to," he said sadly. "But I can't do it alone. I'm not strong enough. Please, it would really matter to me to have you there. I'll give you a few minutes to pack a bag."

Gabriella stepped away from him. "Troy, this is insane! You can't turn yourself in for something you might not be responsible for."

"But I am responsible," Troy insisted. "I know, I know it's hard for you to understand that  
Sharpay's ghost is with me, but please… please, believe me when I tell you I am responsible for her death. I have to give Sharpay the justice she deserves."

Sharpay couldn't help but be touched by Troy's words though she was still far from forgiving him.

"Alright, let's say you were responsible," said Gabriella. "I'm not saying you are. Have you thought about the consequences this will have on you if you turn yourself in? Troy, admitting to homicide is a serious thing! You can lose your scholarship, or worse, you might land in jail!"

"I already know that!" Troy exclaimed miserably. He caught Sharpay's eye. "But I'm willing to face the consequences. I already made up my mind." He looked back to Gabriella. "So please, please just come with me."

But Gabriella shook her head. "No, Troy. I'm not going to let you do this! I'm not going to let you ruin your life!"

"I already ruined Sharpay's. The least I could do is give her justice."

"You don't know that!" Gabriella was already screaming. "You're not sure of that! Besides, this is Sharpay, Troy. Isn't it enough that she made our lives miserable while she lived? Do you have to make your life miserable because of her? She's not worth your life, Troy!"

Her words struck a chord with Sharpay and suddenly she didn't just hate Gabriella, she despised her. After all she lost already, this girl had the nerve to say that. "How dare you! How dare you say my life's not worth anything! WHO ARE YOU TO CALL ME WORTHLESS!"

"She didn't mean that," Troy said to her.

"Of course she meant that!" raged Sharpay. "That's your sweet girlfriend Troy. Look at your angel and tell me she isn't as vindictive and judgmental as I am. The only difference is she hides it behind that innocent face."

"Gabriella, that's not fair for Sharpay. Her life is just as important a mine and I had no right to end it. That's why I have to do this. But I'm scared. I just need you there with me, please…"

Gabriella's face hardened. "No, Troy. No! I'm not going to let you destroy your future over her! Maybe it was your fault, maybe it wasn't. It doesn't matter. She's dead. Nothing will change it."

"YOU LITTLE WITCH! IF I CAN TOUCH YOU, YOU WON'T HAVE A BRAIN LEFT TO DO SIMPLE ADDITION!" She moved forward to strike but Troy instinctively blocked her path.

"Nothing except doing what is right," said Troy quietly as he took in Sharpay's blows that went through him just the same. Sharpay gave up in frustration when she realized she wasn't even doing any damage physically. She just gave Troy another of her withering stares. It had better effect on making him look more miserable even if it wasn't satisfying her.

"Gabriella, I'm going to do it. Come with me, if you want. I want you there. I need you there," he begged.

Gabriella sighed and shook her head again. "I'm not going to take off back to Albuquerque with you and watch you do this idiotic thing. Besides, I have another class in 15 minutes. I've already missed two days when I came home for that musical and for graduation, I can't miss another one. You shouldn't be going to New Mexico at all. Go back to Cal, Troy. Go to your varsity orientation. It's what's right for you."

The pain in etched in Troy's face somehow melted Sharpay's anger. And for the first time she felt something strange inside her—pity for someone else.

"But it's not right for Sharpay."

"For heaven's sake Troy—" Gabriella began but Troy didn't stay to let her finish. He began walking quickly away and Sharpay had to follow him. He jumped up into his truck and Sharpay climbed into the passenger while Boi settled in her lap. He started the engine and began reversing out of the parking lot.

"Troy, don't do this!" Gabriella called as she ran after him.

Troy shook his head. "I have to. Look, I'm sorry I asked you to come," he told Gabriella apologetically. "You're right. This doesn't involve you. I shouldn't be dragging you into this."

He pulled away and didn't stop though Sharpay noticed him glancing in the side mirror at Gabriella as he blinked back tears.

They hit the highway in silence. Try as she might, Sharpay couldn't find any words to say to him.


	7. Between the Living and the Dead

**Chapter Six: Between the Living and the Dead**

He barely noticed the cities they passed by that gave way to open country roads and long stretches of land without buildings. He didn't think much of the landscape anymore. The silent hours passed him by brooding over his guilt. The guilt competed with hurt over Gabriella not supporting him through this. But he forced himself to think that he shouldn't really blame Gabriella for not coming along. This was his fault and his fault alone. She had nothing to do with it. It was selfish of him to involve her when she had her classes to go to. It was his mess to clean up, his crime to pay for.

He glanced again at Sharpay for probably the hundredth time. She hasn't uttered a word since they left the Stanford campus. She didn't even look up at him even once. She just stared out at her own window as if she was memorizing the landscape of the open road while her hands lovingly stroked her dog who nestled obediently on her lap. Boi had not uttered single a bark either. It was as if her dog was tuned in to her silence.

Troy wished she would say something or even glare at him. The Sharpay he knew said exactly what she felt and released her fury at viciously high decibel levels matched with equally fierce looks. But this Sharpay's silence cut at him a thousand times more than any ear-shattering yell she could ever utter. What she didn't say spoke volumes and was amplified infinitely by his guilty conscience.

He passed a town marker and was rather surprised that they were already in the midst of Kern, County. His stomach suddenly gave an unexpected rumble and he realized how hungry he was. He checked his watch. It was almost five in the afternoon. He had been driving non-stop since nine o' clock this morning and he remembered he hadn't had breakfast or lunch. Eating had been the last thing on his mind since he was well fed on misery. But now his biological clock was catching up to him and he knew he just had to answer it. The town marker he passed indicated they were just a kilometer away. He thought they might as well stop for food and gas.

"Sharpay, we need to stop for a while in town. We need gas and it might be good to eat something too."

She ignored him and didn't even react.

Troy decided to just call her attention again after they reached the town. It was a small town and they reached the center of it in less than five minutes. Troy immediately found a gas station and pulled over to stop there.

"Why are we stopping?" Sharpay asked impatiently in her usual haughty way while Boi gave him an equally vicious bark.

"Gas," he said simply.

"Fine," she said irritably before turning away from him again.

Troy got out to have his tank refilled. The teenage gas boy wasn't around to take his payment and he saw why. He was standing by the cashier counter preoccupied with listening to the radio that appeared to be tuned on to one of the local stations. Both the gas boy and the middle-aged male cashier appeared to be absorbed by the report. The announcer was narrating something about a bank robbery that turned bloody followed by a police pursuit before it switched to the commercial.

"Damn it! Stupid station turns to commercial when it gets interesting!" the cashier barked at the radio.

"Uhhmm excuse me?" Troy called out.

The gas attendant finally turned to him and took his money and handed it over to the cashier.

"You just arrived in town?" the boy asked while he waited for change.

Troy nodded.

"That bank robbery on the radio—that was just four blocks from here," the boy said rather excitedly.

"Oh," Troy said disinterestedly.

"Yeah, it got really nasty," the boy said enthusiastically. "Got a few dead people, two of the robbers got away and the police are in hot pursuit."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Troy replied just to be polite. He really didn't have time to chitchat. "Look, is there a place here I could get some early dinner on a budget?"

The boy brightened even more. "Oh go on to Zelma's. That's four blocks from here. Just right across the bank that got robbed. You can't miss it. The place is swarming with police cars and even reporters. And you can even see the bank for yourself. I was there too a while back."

Troy wasn't really in the mood to witness crime scenes when he just committed his own crime against Sharpay. Besides, he was in a hurry to eat and he didn't want the place to be too busy to serve him. "Is there any other place besides that?" he asked.

The gas boy shook his head. "Closest place is Zelma's. There's not another diner for another three miles."

Troy decided he was too hungry to travel that long for another restaurant. He thanked the boy and got back in the truck. He found Sharpay staring out at her window at a lamppost.

"Sharpay," he said gently as he restarted the engine. "We need to stop at a diner four blocks from here. I figured we could both use something to eat."

Sharpay didn't turn to look at him but responded evenly: "I'm not hungry."

Troy suddenly realized how insensitive his remark was. Of course she wasn't hungry. She's a ghost. She can't eat. She probably can't sleep either.

"I'm sorry," he apologized as he pulled away from the station. She remained silent and her gaze appeared to be transfixed to that same empty space next to the lamppost. Even when they were back on the road, her gaze followed that area until it was no longer within view.

"I'm really sorry, Sharpay, but I need to stop for something to eat. I promise I'll be quick."

He got no response at all from her. She kept looking out her window with a thoughtful expression. He decided silence was better.

He found the diner easy enough. Even from a block away he could see the line of police cars surrounding the building right across it. There were no more media people around and he figured they must have left to cover the police pursuit. As he got closer, he saw the yellow police line cordoning the entrance to the bank. The sight reminded him of the images on TV of the junkyard where the police found Sharpay's body. It made him feel sick.

"What happened here?" Sharpay asked as she craned her neck to see the crime scene.

"The bank got robbed, "Troy answered. "The gas boy told me. Someone di—I mean got hurt," Troy said as an afterthought. He didn't want to say anything that reminded Sharpay of her own death.

But Sharpay didn't respond but continued to look curiously at the scene by the bank. He slowed down and parked across it. When he did, she looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"I'm sorry but I need to stop to eat. I promise I'll be quick," he repeated in a pleading voice.

"What?" she asked as if he just broke her thoughts.

"I said I'm sorry but I need to eat."

She stared at the diner in front of them. It was one of those simple mom and pop stores that had been worn with time. It was the kind of place that locals converged after a day at work and where travelers stopped by occasionally for a quick snack. Troy was sure this place fitted his budget alright but he realized it was also the kind of place Sharpay had never been to.

And from the scowl that instantly appeared on her face, he knew he was right.

"Oh no! I am not going in there!"

"Sharpay's there's no other place but this for another three miles."

"Well then we'll go three miles."

"But Sharpay, I'm…" He didn't want to say 'hungry' when the word might offend her as she couldn't feel that anymore. "I mean it's the only thing I can afford. Please, I'll just go in real quick. You don't have to come in if you want."

"Fine then!" she huffed. She got out of the truck. "You go eat and I'll stay outside. I'll go get some fresh air, not that I need it anymore since you killed me," she added nastily. "But don't you go wandering around too far and have me dragged in."

"Thanks, Sharpay," Troy replied gratefully. "I'll sit over there." He pointed to the empty booth closest to the window. That way Sharpay could be free to wander farther outside.

She brushed him off with an impatient wave of her hand.

He went inside and heard the patrons talking about the bank robbery across the street. A radio was also blaring by the counter. He recognized the same local station that he heard at the gas station. It was currently playing another commercial. Troy didn't have time to listen. He sat on the booth he indicated and signaled to the waitress.

A young woman in her early twenties with dirty blond curly hair sauntered over to him with an overeager smile plastered on her face.

"Burger, fries and coffee," he told her. "Black," he added as an afterthought as he remembered he will be driving all night and he will be needing the caffeine.

"Coming right at you honey," she said with a wink. He ignored her and stared outside the window. Sharpay was standing by the sidewalk as far as she could go with her back to him. She appeared to be looking at the crime scene across the street. Boi was jumping up and down at her heels, barking madly.

"Here you go, honey," the waitress arrived with his coffee and he was forced to look at her.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"You're new in town?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered curtly. He wasn't really in the mood for conversation with strangers but the waitress wasn't getting the hint.

"If you came by earlier you would have seen the action across the street. Five guys held up the bank there. The cops came and we heard shots. It all got exciting. The robbers killed two of the guards and the bank manager. But the police got three of them. Two of the robbers got a hostage. They jumped into this really cool car and got away with the cops chasing them down the road out of town."

Troy didn't reply. He didn't like the way this waitress related the tale as if human lives getting wasted was something to be pleased about. Didn't she realize how those people that got killed suffered? But no, she was talking about those robbers like they were heroes in some movie instead of the cold-blooded thieves and murderers that they were.

The waitress continued to relate her eyewitness account. And went on to say how a camera crew of the local press passed her by and she expected to see herself at the 6 'o clock news. Troy was getting annoyed but was too polite to brush her off. He was relieved when he heard the "ting" of a bell that indicated his order was out. The waitress reluctantly excused herself to get his food.

Fortunately, after she served him, she had to attend to another customer. She left him alone to tell her tale to another listening set of ears.

Troy glanced out the window but Sharpay was gone from his sight. He focused on eating his food and ate as quickly as he can—partly because he didn't want Sharpay to wait any longer, but mostly because he was really starving.

The food was greasy and bland but he gobbled it up as if it was the most delicious meal he could have. He realized this might be one of the few last meals he will have as a free man. He wondered how the meals in jail taste like. His heart sank in dejection but he reminded himself that at least he could still eat. Sharpay couldn't and would never taste anything ever again.

He sipped his coffee and savored its bitter sting—then choked when Sharpay suddenly appeared through the wall and sat on the seat opposite him.

He spat the coffee and coughed.

"You alright?" she asked coolly.

"Sorry—cough—got—cough—surprised—cough—cough—"

Sharpay rolled her eyes at him. She waited for him to recover before she said another word.

"You alright now?" her tone was surprisingly much more kinder or at least had less iciness in it.

"Look, I'll hurry okay. Just give me a minute," he said softly. He realized people were staring at him. He turned around and gestured to the crowd of patrons and the concerned waitress that he was alright.

But Sharpay shook her head. "No, take your time while I tell you something. I need you to do something for me."

Troy sipped his coffee carefully. "Alright?" he whispered. He noticed that Boi was on top of the table and was attempting to lick at the remnants of his burger. The poor dog however just kept going through his plate.

"Boi, honey, don't," Sharpay told it gently. "Have you lost your taste when you died?" She pulled the dog away from Troy's plate and the disappointed terrier barked at Troy as if it knew that he was the reason it couldn't eat anymore.

"We need to make a stop here in this town," Sharpay continued. "There's no need to hurry back to Alburquerque immediately."

"Okay…" he was curious at what Sharpay wanted from him that would make her want to delay their return.

She pointed to the window to the bank across the street. "You heard about the robbery?"

Troy nodded. "Five men came in and robbed it. There was a shootout and a few people including three of the robbers, two guards and the bank manager were…hurt—the waitress told me."

Sharpay rolled her eyes at him. "You can use the word Troy. They're dead."

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Sharpay ignored his remark. "Well that waitress forgot to tell you about one of the bank tellers. She was killed too."

Troy gave her a puzzled look but she held up a hand to let her continue.

"The robbers panicked when one the guards managed to grab hold of one of their companions' guns. There was a tussle for the gun and they began shooting. They shot the bank manager in the head and she died instantly. The police moved in but one of the customers went into a panicked frenzy. They began shooting point blank. They injured some customers, fatally wounded the guards. The teller got a stray bullet in the stomach and she bled to death before the rescuers got her to the ambulance."

Troy was horrified at her tale but even more with the matter-of-fact manner she was relating it to him.

"How do you know all that?" he asked.

Sharpay's expression was completely serious but it was her words that gave him a chill: "The teller told me. She's sitting right next to you."


End file.
